Music holder



April 29, 1958 H. w. sHELP Musxc HOLDER Filed oct. 2, 195e United States Patent O MUSIC HOLDER Henry William Shelp, Chicago, Ill.

Application October 2, 1956, Serial No. 613,445

9 Claims. (Cl. 45-58) This invention relates to music holding devices and particularly to a music holding device for holding a plurality of sheets of music, which permits the user to change from one score to another with a simple movement of one hand. It also relates to a music holder adapted to be supported by a suitable clamp device. It is an object of the invention to provide improved apparatus of this character.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, the holding device includes a holder and a conventional music holding clamp or lyre, or any other suitable supporting means for the holder which is readily securable to a musical instrument and has a pair of upstanding prongs and a cooperating clamping member or jaw. In its preferred form, the holder has a plurality of transparent envelopes for receiving music scores. When the user has finished with one score he may, with one hand, iiip the transparent envelope containing that score from the front to the rear of the holder, thereby exposing another score. By simply reversing the music holder on its mounting, additional scores visible through the rear or opposite side of each transparent envelope may be used in succession. Where the apparatus embodying the invention includes or cooperates with a music holding lyre, those score-containing transparent envelopes which may be arranged on one side of the music holder proper at any one time may be clamped in desired position by the lyre.

Accordingly, it is another object of the invention to provide improved apparatus for holding a series of music scores in such a manner that the user may quickly and conveniently bring selected music scores into playing position. f

It is another object of the invention to provide improved apparatus for holding music scores which is convenient in use, light in weight, and economical to manufacture.

This invention, together with further objects and ad vantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, in which like parts arel designated by like reference numerals:

Figure l is an elevational view, partially broken away, of the rear side of a holder embodying the invention in position in a holding lyre of conventional form;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partially broken away, of the same holder;

Fig. 3 is a partial front elevation, partially broken away, of the same holder;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-'-4 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. l with the lyre only partially shown for purpose of clarity.

'As indicated above, the present invention preferably cooperates with a conventional music holding lyre, and it is shown in the drawing so applied. It is to be understood, however, that the music holder proper of the present invention may alternatively be employed with any appara- ICC tus which is securable to a musical instrument and which includes a pair of upstanding prongs and a cooperating clamping member or jaw cooperable with the music holder proper.

In the drawing a conventional music holding lyre 10 is shown. This includes a stem 11, which is readily securable to a musical instrument, a lyre-shaped clamping member or jaw 12 rigid on the stem, and a cooperating clamping member 13. The latter member is pivotable about a rod 14 and is biased toward the lyre-shaped clamping member by a spring 15, all as is conventional in the art. The clamping member 13 includes a pair of generally parallel upstanding prongs, and it is with these prongs that the music holder proper of the present invention cooperates.

A supporting member 20 is provided which is formed from a metal sheet with two opposed edges rolled to form parallel tubes as best seen in Fig. 5. One end of the rolled edges of this member is arranged to receive the two upstanding prongs of the clamping member 13. In the conventional music-holding lyre the upstanding prongs thereof are curved in at least one direction. This assists in obtaining a snug it between these prongs and the inner walls of the rolled edges of the supporting member 20. Where the edges of the metal sheet are dened herein as rol1ed, it is to be interpreted broadly enough to include any doubling back of the edges which produces a hollow formation for receiving the prongs of the clamping member and, as described immediately below, the ends of a Wire frame.

The opposite ends of the rolled edges of the supporting member are arranged to receive the two ends of a wire frame 21. As seen best in Fig. l, the ends of the wire frame are preferably bent back such that they may fit snugly and securely in the upper ends of the rolled edges of the supporting member 2i). The major portion of the wire frame 21 is in the form of a rectangle as shown in Fig. l and the straight horizontal upper portion 26 thereof is intended to serve as a support for the music.

Transparent pockets 22 are providel for receiving individual music scores, each pocket preferably consisting of a folded sheet of light-Weight transparent plasticand a pair of hangers or hinge members each having a clamp portion 27 securing together the free edges of the sheet. The sides of the pockets are accordingly open to permit the insertion of music scores. The front and back sides of the hangers 23, alongwith the two layers of the folded plastic .pocket may be secured together by any suitable means such as an eyelet type of rivet 24.

Each hanger 23 includes an upstanding arm portion 28 which is bent to form a hook as best seen in Fig. 4. It will readily be seen that the hanger 23 may be snapped over the wire frame 21 and may pivot relatively freely thereabout. Furthermore, the hinge member may readily be removed from the wire frame when desired. Thus a selected pocket or pockets may be readily removed from the frame or additional pockets attached to the frame.

The hangers 23 of the various pockets 22 are preferably equally spaced such that they may be arranged on the wire frame Without interfering with each other, the pockets being staggered. Small rubber or plastic rings 2d fitting snugly but slidably on the wire frame may be employed to restrain the clamps 23, and hence the pockets 22, against movement along the frame 21.

Music scores or sheets are preferably inserted in the plurality of pockets 22 in the order in which numbers are to be played. With the various parts assembled as shown in the drawing, and with the music-holding lyre 10, and speciiically with the stem 11, secured to the musical instrument (not shown), the first music score to be played is visible and successive scores are readily exposed to view simply by flipping overlying scores to the back of the holder. The conventipnal lyrelpwithV clamping member t3 and reversed wherebythose music scores which were previously on the back sides of the pockets are now on the Vfront sides and may be seen by the user. Alternatively, the music-holding lyre may be reversed, or the wire frame 21 may be reversed with respectV to the support 20.

A music holder hasY now been described which may support a substantial number of music scores in such condition that any one of them may readily be brought to the view of the user. Music scores are readily inserted in the music holder and are well protected against damage by rain or wind. The music holder described is furthermore light, durable, convenient, and economical to manufacture. As indicated above, the music holder constituting the present invention may include or cooperate with a conventional music-holding lyre. Additionally, it may be employed with any device having a pair of upstanding prongs receivable within the rolled edges of the supporting member 20. y

It will be apparent that the invention may be varied in its physical embodiment without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is desired, therefore, that the invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

The invention having'thus been described, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A music holder comprising a rigid support adapted to be received and supported by a music-holding lyre, an elongate member attached to said support and including a portion providing with the support a closed loop having an elongate straight portion perpendicular to said support, and a plurality of sheet holders each including a fiat tubular pocket of transparent sheet material having two opposed closed edges, each said sheet holder including hooks secured to said pocket adjacent opposite ends of one of the closed edges thereof and detachably engaged with the straight portion of said closed loop.

2. A music holder for attachment to a band instrument through a lyre having a pair of upstanding prongs,

said holder comprising a base member adapted at one i end to receive the prongs of said lyre, a Wire frame having ends receivable in the other end of said base member, plurality of transparent pockets, and apair of spring clips secured to each of said pockets, said clips being releasably connected to said wire frame and permitting hinged movement of said pockets with respect to said Wire frame, said pockets being arranged to receive sheet music and being engageable at their free edges by said lyre.

3. A music holding device for attachment to a band instrument comprising a rod, a clamp secured thereto, said clamp having two clamping members spring biased toward each other, one of said members including a pair of generally parallel spaced-apart arms, a rigid metal sheet having tubular edges to receive at one end said pair of arms, a Wire frame having ends receivable in the other end of said tubular edges of said sheet, and a plurality of transparent pockets hingedly connected to said wire frame, said pockets being arranged to receive sheet music and being engageable at their free edges kbyvsaid clamp.

4. A music holding device for attachment to a band instrument comprising a rod, aclamp secured thereto,

saidclarnp having two clampingmembers spring biased toward each other, one of said members including a pair of generally parallel spaced-apart arms, a rigid metal sheet having tubular parallel edges to receive at one end said pair of arms, a Wire frame having ends receivable in the other end of said tubular edges of said sheet, a plurality of transparent pockets, and a pair of spring clips secured to each of said pockets, said clips being releasably connected to said wire frame and permitting hinged movenient of said pockets with respect to said wire frame, said pockets being arranged to receive sheet music and being engageableat their free edges by said clamp.

5. A music holding device for attachment to a band instrument comprising a lyre having a pair of upstanding prongs, a rigid metal sheet having tubular parallel edges to receive at one end the prongs of said lyre, a wire frame having ends receivable in the other ends ofsaid edges of said sheet, and a plurality of transparent pockets hingedly connected to said fire frame, said pockets being arranged to receive sheet music and being engageable at their free edges by said lyre.

6. A music holding device for attachment to a band instrument comprising a lyre having a pair of upstanding prongs, a rigid metal sheet having tubular parallel edges to receive at one end the prongs of said lyre, a wire frame having ends receivable in the other ends of said edges of said sheet, a plurality of transparent pockets, and a pair of spring clips secured to each of said pockets, said clips being releasably connected to said wire frame and permitting hinged movement of said pockets with respect to said wire frame, said pockets being arranged to receive sheet music and being engageable at their free edges by said lyre.

7. A music holding device for attachment to a band instrument lyre of the type having a pair of upstanding prongs, said holder comprising a metal sheet having tubular parallel edges to receive at one end the prongs of said lyre, a wire frame having ends receivable in the other ends of said edges of said sheet, and a plurality of transparent pockets hingedly connected to said wire frame, said pockets beingarranged to receive sheet music and being engageable at their free edges by said lyre.

8. A music holding device for attachment to a band instrument comprising a rod, a clamp secured thereto, said clamp having two clamping members spring biased toward each other, one of said members including a pair of generally parallel spaced-apart arms, a metal sheet having tubular parallel edges to receive at one end said pair of arms, a wire frame having ends receivable in the other ends of said edges of said sheet, and a plurality of transparent pockets each comprising a sheet of transparent plastic bent back upon itself and a pair of clamping elements securing together the free edges of said bentsheet, said clamping elements having portions hingedly connectible to said wire frame, said pockets being engageable at their bent edges by said clamp.

9,. A music holder for attachment to a band instrument lyre of the type having a rigid post a rst clamping element rigidly carried by said post, a second clamping element mounted for pivotal movement relatively to the first clamping element and spring means urging said second element into clamping relation with the first element, at least one of said elements having spaced, generally parallel arms, said music holder comprising a rigid support having spaced sockets at one end positioned to receive and be supported by the ends of the spaced arms of the one clamping element of the lyre, a frame including a portion attached and upstanding from the other end of said support and an elongate portion perpendicularV to and extending on opposite sides of said support, a plurality of dat, tubular, pocket elements of transparent material having two parallel open edges and two parallel closed edges, and a pair of attaching elements secured to each of said pocket elements adjacent the ends respectively of one of said closed edges for detachably suspending said pocket elements from the elongate por tion of said frame.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNETED STATES PATENTS Grodzik et al. Nov. 24, 1896 Haight Feb. 14, 1933 Johnston July 4, 1950 

